Author
Topic: Canadian actors playing US parts I (Read 13868 times)

I was in a competition this weekend with students from all of New England and Eastern Canada, at which no one was allowed to actually reveal where we were from (didn't want to bias the judges). I played, "Figure out where they're from by the accent," and I basically couldn't!

One girl from Ukraine but studying in North America was a particular challenge. She did say some "odd" words to my mind, but I put it on her being from Eastern Europe. Made more sense when I learned she was studying in Toronto on top of that. Her Canadian teammates' ways of speaking were not particularly pinnable to a specific area until I knew they were Canadian, too.

I think that television and, before it, radio have done a lot to standardize North American English. News personalities almost all speak in a manner that minimizes regional accents.

When Peter Jennings was ABC News anchor, they had to spell some words American pronunciation phonetically. For instance , Canadians pronounce Lieutenant as leff-tennant. They would spell it Loo- Tennant for him since it was an American broadcast.

Doesn't everyone except Americans say Leff-tenant?

I do enjoy the accent of Phil Keoghan on The Amazing Race. He's Kiwi-born but his accent is all over the shop!

Just out of curiosity. Why does everyone but Americans say 'Leff-tenant'? I think we all say 'in lieu of something'. What makes Lieutenant different?

Probably to compensate for the fact that Americans pronounce Colonel KUR null instead of CO lo nel like the rest of the English speaking world. Am I right about the pronunciation of Colonel outside of the US?

Mostly, it's shot in Vancouver so it doesn't make a difference. Between Canadian English and American English, there's really very little difference. The stereotypical "Canadian" accent is really only on the East coast, Labrador and Newfoundland, if I'm remembering correctly. I mean, they do have a few words they pronounce slightly differently (sorry being one I can think of that's standard across the country), but for the most part it's the same.

Plus with the number of accents that exist across the United States itself, it's really easy to pass off as American on TV. Most people go for the accent of the midwest, it seems to be the most universally understood and the least accented, if that makes sense.

That is not true about the Canadian accent. Go to almost every province and you will hear different forms of the accent. Go to almost any State in the USA and you will get a different accent. Both countries are very regional with accents.

The reason why There are so many Canadians in US shows filmed in Canada is Canada laws are very strict . If filming in Canada, Canadians must be employed in all facets of the production. I can't remember the percentage but I believe the vast majority must be Canadian.

Ooooh no, the "typical" Canadian accent isn't just on the East Coast. Maritimers...particularly Newfoundlanders, have a VERY distinct way of speaking that isn't really found anywhere else. My dad, who his from Ontario, does not have a *noticeable* accent but he does say some things differently, like "tagger" (tiger). I am Alberta born and raised and I don't think I have an accent but there is a difference between the way I speak and the way Americans speak. It's subtle, but it's there. I know when I speak to North Americans overseas whether they are Canadian or American.

I am also from Alberta. Born and raised. I am told by my American friends here that I definitely have an accent. They say it is stronger after I have been home and when I've had a few drinks. lol Even complete strangers ask where I am from. I think every province in Canada has a bit of a different accent twang, so the accent isn't limited to just the east coast. It is very diverse.

When I lived in AZ, I was asked if I was from MN or SD/ND. So the Alberta accent is similar to the those states, but obviously different to the people from here. I can tell when someone here is born and raised MN. It is a unique accent.

To my Southern US ear, West Coast Canadians don't have much of an accent, but Ontario east does. I watch Love it or List it and Love it or List it Too and immediately guessed that Too was filmed in Vancouver, where as original is Toronto.

My coworker/friend is from Ontario (near Windsor, she lives in the US now) and I noticed her accent right away when I first met her. Her 'O's' are longer and noticeable compared to my rather nasally Michigan accent. If she says the name "Don" it comes out like "Dawn" which is a bit confusing. When I watched the first season of "Ice Road Truckers" in northern Canada, they have quite different accent as compared to those in Ontario. My friend talked about that. I'm sure every region has its nuances, just like any other country.

People often don't really realize they have an accent until pointed out. I thought I had a neutral, midwestern/newscaster accent, but it was pointed out that I have an accent by other midwestern people (say like Iowa).

To my Southern US ear, West Coast Canadians don't have much of an accent, but Ontario east does. I watch Love it or List it and Love it or List it Too and immediately guessed that Too was filmed in Vancouver, where as original is Toronto.

You probably know that Hilary, in the Toronto version of the show, is British and my guess is that she immigrated as a teen or an adult. Her accent is not in any way a Canadian accent. Her "partner" David, however, seems to be a born-and-bred Canadian, as with the two people in the Vancouver version.

(And actually I had no idea that Love It Or List It was shown on any US channels!)

^^^It's shown on HGTV (home and garden cable network) ALL-THE-TIME. I swear thats all they show. It's either 'House Hunters' or 'Love It or List It' that seems to be on whenever I switch to that channel. I miss the design shows they used to have. Love It or List It is a very predictable show, but I still watch it even though they tape both outcomes (will they love it or list it?) and choose which one to broadcast. But I feel compelled to watch it until the end anyway.

To my Southern US ear, West Coast Canadians don't have much of an accent, but Ontario east does. I watch Love it or List it and Love it or List it Too and immediately guessed that Too was filmed in Vancouver, where as original is Toronto.

You probably know that Hilary, in the Toronto version of the show, is British and my guess is that she immigrated as a teen or an adult. Her accent is not in any way a Canadian accent. Her "partner" David, however, seems to be a born-and-bred Canadian, as with the two people in the Vancouver version.

(And actually I had no idea that Love It Or List It was shown on any US channels!)

They also showed Property Virgins with the original host, Sandra, but now there is a US version with a different host. They also had Buy Me for a long time and many other Canadian shows. Mike Holmes is on DIY.

There is a difference between west coast Canadian accents and east coast Canadian accents, for sure. I've always found people from Ontario say banana different, as an example. Sort of ba-nay-na, wheras i in BC say Bah-nah-nah.

The only place I've heard col on nell was on Hogan's Heros from the French prisoner to Hogan.

I've never heard anyone from any background refer to the Col-on-el Bogey March.

Logged

My cousin's memoir of love and loneliness while raising a child with multiple disabilities will be out on Amazon soon! Know the Night, by Maria Mutch, has been called "full of hope, light, and companionship for surviving the small hours of the night."